Originally Posted by
mihlbach
I'm not taking your word for it. I've ridden extensively in snow with just about every type of drive train there is since I was 10 years old. I can and always have been able to ride in snow with all of my bikes. The type of bike, geometry, tire size and tread, and gearing are all very relevant to adapting a bike for snow, but the presence or absence of a freewheel makes no more difference to me in snow anymore than it does when the roads are clear. What is it exactly that makes you feel a FG DT is superior for riding in snow? I'd like to know, because so far, I'm not buying into it.
I think FG helps on ice/snow b/c you can resist the pedals WITHOUT going into a skid, which is a good way to slow down. If you go into a skid, it doesn't matter whether youre on a brakeless fixie or a disk brake equipped MTB. but, FG gives u the ability to resist wheel movement while being careful not to skid. The disadvantage to rim brakes is that you don't know how hard they are going to grip. The rim could be wet/covered in ice or it could not be and that will make a huge difference in how well you brake.